Mafia Queen

Chapter Thirty Two

​​Luca

I rubbed the pale spot on my ring finger where my wedding band once was. I had noticed it was missing almost as soon as I woke up that first morning here, and I hadn't realized how much I relied on it until it was gone. It had become a sort of coping tool for me. Whenever I felt myself getting frustrated or upset, I'd twist it between my fingers, reminding myself of Charlotte and the life we'd created together. It reminded me of the man I wanted to be, the kind my wife and children deserved. Each time, like clockwork, my heart rate would slow down, my breathing would balance, and I realized how little whatever was bothering me mattered. With no end in sight here, it was getting harder and harder to do.

I hated even thinking about what Char and the kids were going through, especially if they thought I was dead. Charlotte would be beside herself, not sleeping or eating. Her self care was the first thing to go when she got upset. I trusted Marco and Angelo to take care of her, but I also knew how stubborn my wife was. I'm sure they would have all kinds of stories when I got back about what a brat she had been. If I got back.

I kept having nightmares about what my family was going through back at home. I wondered if Layla was giving Char a hard time, or if Leo had gotten rid of his cough. Cole was so young some nights I dreamt he forgot me all together. The most vivid dream I had, though, was of Charlotte laying in top of our bed, tears streaming down her cheeks, calling out for me. Her cries haunted me, and knowing I wasn't there to calm her was debilitating.

I couldn't even let myself consider that possibility. If I let myself think for one second that I wouldn't see Charlotte on the other side of all of this, I wouldn't stand a chance. She was my light at the end of the tunnel and I had to survive this to get back to her. I had to play whatever stupid games Niko wanted and buy my boys enough time to find me. I knew they would. Marco and Angelo would fight all ends of the earth to bring me home. And if Char had even the slightest inclination that I was alive, she would push them until they did. I had to hold on to hope that they were smarter than Niko, that they would figure this out.

Serena sat in front of me, picking at the shit they brought us for dinner.

"That stuff is disgusting. I think it's supposed to be some kind of spaghetti. Nothing like Charlotte makes, though." I said.

"Charlotte cooks? You guys don't have a housekeeper?" Serena frowned.

I shook my head. "We have a nanny, but Char likes to do most of that stuff herself. In fact, if she didn't work, we wouldn't even have a nanny."

"You let her work?" Her eyes widened.

I chuckled. "Serena, I don't let Charlotte do anything. She's got a mind of her own, and once she's set on something, there's no stopping her."

"And you don't think it's disrespectful for her to treat you that way?"

I paused, understanding where she was coming from. Everything I was saying about my relationship with Charlotte contradicted decades of Mafia tradition. Women were supposed to be submissive and quiet and mind their own business. It was almost laughable how different my wife was from that.

"When I met Charlotte, I had to reconsider just about everything I'd ever known. I tried to fit her into this mold of what a mafia wife should be, but it just wasn't her. I had to choose between outdated traditions and the woman I love. It was an easy choice, but it definitely took some getting used to."

"What would you be doing if you were at home now?" Serena asked, finally pushing the pile of food away from her in defeat.

I smirked, considering her question. I had no clue what day it actually was, so I did my best to guess. "Probably wrangling the kids for dinner and bath time. Helping Charlotte cook dinner over a glass of wine. Curling up on the couch to watch a movie." Fuck, what I would give to be there right now.